When my brothers and I were little, we always looked forward to 1 December because my mother would bring out our Advent calendar, all stuffed with little goodies for each of us. This is the first year I think Lydia is old enough to really understand the purpose of an Advent calendar and all the excitment and anticipation of Christmas that comes along with it, so I thought I'd make one myself for both her and Luca. There are a million DIY versions out there, but I've always come back to the ones Annie has made over the years over at Most Lovely Things; this one will forever be a personal favorite, but I was so inspired by this simple one that I decided to try it myself. I absolutely love how it turned out and it couldn't have been easier!

I bought this set of burlap favor pouches, some mini clothespins, red craft paint, Martha Stewart's dauber set and an inexpensive number stencil from Michael's. The whole project took less than ten minutes, which was perfect because, of course, I left this until the eleventh hour, but the kids love it and get so excited to pull a pouch every morning!

This week has been so incredibly long that I feel like a little throwback is in order to bring a little Christmas spirit to the old blog here. And what better way to do it than with a table setting I did last year for the holiday season! Red is definitely not a color that I use on a regular basis in my decor but it brought just the right pop of color to the table last year with a linen runner I found at TJMaxx the year before. And when you pair it with bamboo flatware, rattan covered glasses and water hyacinth chargers, it feels so fresh and modern and still a tad bit coastal, which, of course, I'm all about. The French wine glasses are a staple around here and look so pretty next to the woven glasses (I got mine at HomeGoods, but here is a similar set). I finished the table off with some clippings from the green giant arborvitae on the side of the house and stuck them in an antique silver pitcher; if you really want to add some sparkle, a string of battery-operated twinkle lights would look amazing!

If you're looking to treat yourself to something special this holiday season, I can't recommend this bamboo flatware set enough! I hope you're all having an amazing week and gearing up for an equally wonderful weekend!

My cousin recently found out she and her husband are expecting their first child, a baby girl, this spring and when she asked for help with her nursery, I literally jumped at the chance! Designing nurseries and children's rooms are, hands down, my absolute favorite and this one is even more special because it's going to be for my sweet cousin, who has always been more like a little sister to me! She and her husband live in Rhode Island on the water and so, naturally, I had to incorporate some subtle nautical details into the design - the grasscloth walls and gorgeous coral mirror add so much texture and interest while the pale pink ceiling adds some color and warmth to the white board and batten wall treatment. A classic Jenny Lind-style crib gets the midas touch with a metallic brass paint and the mughal flower print in coral is to die for (I want to redo the pillows on Lydia's bed in this stunning fabric!) It will be the perfect pop of pattern as the crib bedding and window treatments. The rattan whale bin is such a sweet touch, as is the mini gallery wall of little darlings animal prints. A sweet little spot, fit for a real tiny princess!

High Street Market is one of my favorite online home boutiques to shop for home accessories and gifts; there isn't anything in their shop that wouldn't look amazing or fit right in my own home (aka that I don't absolutely LOVE) and I often find myself looking here first when I need a birthday, hostess or Christmas gift for friends and family. There's such a great selection of lighting, furniture and vintage goods, but I always end up gravitating toward the home decor and accessories and I always, ALWAYS find something new that I end up lusting over. Their Black Friday sale started this week and the entire store is 20% off with code FAMILY. Such a great time to stock up on some goodies for yourself, as well as some gorgeous, unique Christmas gifts for anyone on your list! Here are some of my favorites from their shop that are as beautiful as they are budget-friendly:

Thanksgiving is in two days!!! I'm not quite sure which I'm more excited about - eating my weight in turkey and fixings or setting my table. This year I'm keeping it simple on both counts; the older I get the more I crave simplicity in every aspect of my life and that most certainly includes entertaining! I had high hopes of sharing links to everything I'm using to host much earlier than now, but it rained every single day last week, making it impossible to get decent pictures!

Over the years I've accumulated a great mix of basic dinner and serveware that I use on a daily basis that can also easily be dressed up for holidays and special occasions. Add some fresh greenery in a gorgeous ice bucket and some beautiful linen napkins and I'm set!

This year I really wanted to add deep, dark indigo and I found it in these navy napkins (they're currently buy one, get one half off; thank you for the tip, Tessa!) I think they'll be the perfect compliment to my rattan chargers, bamboo flatware and French wine glasses (which are on sale!). These bamboo servers are a budget-friendly alternative to buying all new flatware and look amazing paired with a simple white salad bowl (HomeGoods always has some beautiful, inexpensive options!) and no matter what I end up doing for a centerpiece, I always add a few unscented white votives to really up the cozy factor. I love this set from Amazon but I also found sets of two at the dollar store and grabbed about a hundred of them, so I'm pretty much set for the next decade!

Whenever I'm buying something for entertaining, I try to be mindful of my storage space and make sure what I'm considering purchasing is super versatile. These woven glasses add a beachy vibe in the summer but add just the right amount of texture to a fall table, too, and I have a weakness for beautiful ice buckets because you can also use them as makeshift vases - the same goes for wine coolers! I love this marble option and at $25, the price can't be beat!

Greenery can be as easy as a few snips from a bush or tree in your yard or a simple maiden hair fern or topiary, if you're lucky enough to find them near you. One year I snipped some purple sweet potato vine from the pots on our front porch and put them in vintage glass mini bottles down the tables. The contrast was gorgeous against my gray/green Cinderella pumpkins and it didn't cost me a thing!

So, that's pretty much it for us this year. How are you guys setting the table for Turkey Day?